Sen. Shannon Augre, D-Browning, listens to proceedings in the Senate chambers during the opening day of Montana?'s 63rd Legislature Monday in Helena, Mont. / Gannett/Larry Beckner, Great Falls Tribune

by John S. Adams, USA TODAY

by John S. Adams, USA TODAY

HELENA, Mont. -- Democrats in the Montana Senate are attempting to pull off a parliamentary procedure that could dramatically affect the remaining three weeks of the 2013 Legislative session.

Sen. Shannon Augare, D-Browning, left the Capitol Friday in order to set up a "Call of the Senate" procedure. According to the Associated Press, Republicans say Augare intentionally disappeared to force a stop to all business in the Senate on a critical deadline day for certain bills.

At issue are a pair of referenda the Senate passed on second reading Thursday that Democrats say could dramatically impact access to the ballot. Both measures, which are sponsored by Sen. Alan Olson, R-Roundup, must pass the Senate on third reading by the Saturday noon transmittal deadline or they are dead.

Sources say Democrats have deemed Senate Bill 405 and Senate Bill 408 so damaging to voter access â?? and Democrats' chances at the polls â?? that they're willing to risk the fate of key legislation â?? including Medicaid expansion, a state pension fix, education funding, etc. â?? to stop the measures from moving forward.

The first measure, SB405, would ask voters to eliminate same-day voter registration. The second bill, SB408 would put a referendum on the ballot that would create a "top two primary" system in which only the top two vote-getters would qualify for the November general election ballot.

As of 2:45 p.m. the Senate was officially in a caucus recess, and the House had not convened. Sources said leaders from the House and Senate were meeting in the Capitol to discuss the rules and try to figure out whether anything could be done to keep the Democrats from stopping action and killing the bills.

One question is whether either body had officially convened for business and thus started the clock ticking on the 71st legislative day. The Senate gaveled-in for the floor session at noon and Augare was absent. The Senate then broke into recess for caucus meetings.

It was then that news of the Democrats' plan to make a "Call of the Senate" motion began to circulate.

If all 50 members of the Senate aren't present, then either party can motion for a Call of the Senate, which means business cannot resume until all 50 members are present. It would take a two-thirds majority of the Senate to override the Call of the Senate. Republicans don't have two-thirds majority in the Senate.

Perennial Libertarian Candidate Mike Fellows was at the Capitol Friday. Fellows said he supported the Democrats' tactic.

"I think it's a good strategy," Fellows said. "When you look at states like Washington, when they passed (a top-two primary) in 2008, there hasn't been a third-party candidate on the ballot since. It's designed to destroy competition."